Nested Contexts of Support: How the Local Context Shapes School Agents' Support of Undocumented Students

• In Event: Sheraton Roundtable Session Six
  In Roundtable Session: Contextualizing Access: How Policy, Programs, and People Support Diverse Students (Table 7)

Abstract

School agents—such as counselors and teachers—play a central role in supporting undocumented students’ college transitions. Supportive school agents, however, are not solely a product of an individual’s desire to engage in supportive practices. Rather, school agents are embedded within multilayered contexts which shape their ability to support undocumented students. This paper examines how the local context shapes school agent’s ability to support undocumented students’ college transitions through a case study of the Chicago metropolitan area. Finding the local contexts impacts school agents’ 1) knowledge level and access to resources, 2) challenges encountered in supporting undocumented students, and 3) ability to build trust with students, I argue, the local context is crucial to understanding the role of school agents.

Author

• Daysi X. Diaz-Strong, University of Illinois at Chicago
  Presenting Author